Do I have to believe in Satan, to be a true Christian?

[Life2Christ]

I have an issue in that I don't believe in Satan. The Jewish religion sees Satan as a character in the Torah, not a real force. I have always believed evil is a real force but comes from the human heart. Plus, I don't think our beloved Lord God would give us a devil to deal with on top of everything else.


The Christian writer Max Lucado says that Satan is an angel who has no power but can only act when God gives him the green light. That's all well and good but its not enough for me to believe.

I struggle with this because believing in Satan is part of Christian theology. Ironically, I do believe in demonic possession but I have my own theories on that.

Can anyone help me sort this out?

 

[green wolverine]

Here's a wonderful sermon by Steve Lawson discussing how God used Satan in dealing with Job:

YouTube - The Invisible War - Steve Lawson

 

[Autumnleaf]

You can believe whatever you want to. The problem with not believing in Satan is the same problem as not believing in cars. You can get along just fine believing that until one day when you are minding your own business walking in the street and some high speed bundle of metal, plastic, and glass decides to ruin your day.

 

[alan650]

You can believe whatever you want to. The problem with not believing in Satan is the same problem as not believing in cars. You can get along just fine believing that until one day when you are minding your own business walking in the street and some high speed bundle of metal, plastic, and glass decides to ruin your day.

That is a very good way to explain it and I definitely laughed a little.

Just because you don't believe in something does not make it untrue. Millions of unbelievers are going to realize that too late when Jesus decides to show up like a thief in the night.

I guess I have to ask what parts of the Bible you believe and what parts you don't. Jesus was tempted by Satan himself in the New Testament after all! It is said again and again that we are in spiritual warfare and the devil is mentioned so many time in the Holy Bible that I find it strange you choose to ignore this part of the Bible.

 

[bsd31]

What does the Bible say about Satan? That's all you need to know and believe. Not what Jewish history says, not what any contemporary author says, but only what the word of God says.

 

[Echetus]

Satan is real, and is an active force in the world. Satan is the accuser of mankind. He tempts us. Satan derives all his power from God. The nature of sin, fallen angels, and the fall of mankind is mentioned in the Bible, I myself have read much about it. Currently I am listing these topics, trying to get a more decisive understanding of the nature of the God.

 

[Johnnz]

How do you account for evil?

John
NZ

 

[razeontherock]

whether you believe in Satan or not has no bearing on you being saved or not, if that's your primary concern.

I have always believed evil is a real force but comes from the human heart.

"The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9 All unanswered questions in the OT are answered by Jesus - He is the answer!

Ironically, I do believe in demonic possession but I have my own theories on that.

This would be interesting to explore ..

 

[GQ Chris]

Yes. To be a true Bible believing Christian, that is.

 

[Sketcher]

It's not as though you're not saved if you don't believe in a literal devil, but Jesus did. He encountered him in the desert after his baptism. He saw him fall from Heaven in eternity past. His disciples also believed that Satan exists, and at least one of them had visions which included him. If I'm a Christian, I'm going to believe what Jesus says, and what his apostles said.

Another thing to consider - some of Jesus' major miracles include driving out demons. If there is no Satan, then there are no demons, because they're his little minions. And consequently, that diminishes the power and authority of Christ, since driving them out of people was one of the key points that was made in asserting this authority to people.

 

[sbbqb7n16]

What does the Jewish religion say about the entity that tempted Jesus in the wilderness?

Or the beast and dragon in Revelation?

Who was Jesus claiming that the Pharisees truly belonged to when He said, "you are of your father, the devil"? (John 8:44)

Or when Jesus said to Peter, "get behind me Satan" (Matt 16:23) - to who was He talking? and of what was He referencing?

And what was Peter ^^ discussing in 1 Peter 5:8?

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8



I'm not exactly sure how you could not believe he exists, if you've read most of the Bible.

Nonetheless, Christianity isn't based on how bad the devil is, it's based on how good our God is. If you've got a correct understanding of Who Jesus was/is - and what He accomplished on the cross, then you're likely a true Christian.

 

[Life2Christ]

Thank you for the video and thanks to everyone for the input. I have a lot to think about. There are some really good arguments on this thread.

 

[White_Wizard]

You can believe whatever you want to. The problem with not believing in Satan is the same problem as not believing in cars. You can get along just fine believing that until one day when you are minding your own business walking in the street and some high speed bundle of metal, plastic, and glass decides to ruin your day.

How exactly do you figure this here? Does this mean that a literal devil will come out and harm a person or do mean you mean Satan, as in karma?

How do you account for evil?

John
NZ

Well, technically by definition, one cannot exist without the other. Without knowing what good was then we as humans could not know what evil was, or vise versa. Similar to the Eastern religion philosophy of the Yin and Yang. I should add that the difference here is that God represents all that is good, so Satan must represent all that is evil and in Christian belief, this evil will be destroyed by God eventually.

 

[Johnnz]

Well, technically by definition, one cannot exist without the other. Without knowing what good was then we as humans could not know what evil was, or vise versa. Similar to the Eastern religion philosophy of the Yin and Yang. I should add that the difference here is that God represents all that is good, so Satan must represent all that is evil and in Christian belief, this evil will be destroyed by God eventually.

That's not true. God exists eternally without any dependence on evil. And using contrast so as to know the other avoids the issue. Why do we call something good and something evil. What is our basis for doing that? Are they two just words expressing some preference or distaste but nothing more?

John
NZ

 

[Quasicentennial]

In the Garden of Eden, God created the Tree of Good and Evil for a purpose .:*:. Evil is needed to understand the power of mother nature that can cause disease and death such as the spread of malaria from mosquitos, and poisonous animals like the snake and jellyfish .:*:. Evil also can be emotional such as the feelings of anger and jealousy demonstrated by Satan and his conflict with God .:*:. Evil must be recognised and used to protect the goodness of God, and to respect his rules and his high position as the king of heaven and earth .:*:. Because Adam and Eve disobeyed by eating the fruit from the tree, evil has been given power to Satan so that mankind can use false religions and atheism to make Christianity insignificant .:*:. Allowing the son of God Jesus Christ to sacrifice his life to save us - instead of removing Satan from Earth early - might seem an odd process to avoid sin and we as Christians have to leave our puzzled queries till last when we come face-to-face with God in heaven or when Jesus returns to fight and win against Satan .:*:.

 

[Autumnleaf]

How exactly do you figure this here? Does this mean that a literal devil will come out and harm a person or do mean you mean Satan, as in karma?

Ephesians 6:12

"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

 

[White_Wizard]

That's not true. God exists eternally without any dependence on evil. And using contrast so as to know the other avoids the issue. Why do we call something good and something evil. What is our basis for doing that? Are they two just words expressing some preference or distaste but nothing more?

John
NZ

This is what I love about Western theology in general. You ought to take a comparative religions course. As you asked, how do we define that of good and evil? What is 'good' and what is 'evil?' Good and evil are not simply something that we can define in terms of words. There must be a way to define such a word though. Many Eastern religions rely on the view that good and evil are simply oppossing forces creating a balance with one another. Christianity doesn't really hold compatible with these views because of the belief that good must 'win-out' over evil, so to speak.

I think of it like expressing sin. When I sin, I automatically know that I've messed up. Without an eternal being such as God in existence, there would no reason for me to feel such a feeling. While I am good, I am constantly tempted by Satan. The two forces hang in the balance and we can know one from the other. After all, if I am not doing God's will, then by the very words of the Bible, I am living in sin.

 

[GaryP]

So ask the Father in Heaven, to allow you to see into the spiritual realm.

or

Figure out if the Blood of Jesus is alive or dead, when the Roman spear is thrust.
If you answer correctly and believe it. No worries, They ( dark side ) will come
to you. If you answer wrong, No threat, no visit.

 

[Johnnz]

This is what I love about Western theology in general. You ought to take a comparative religions course. As you asked, how do we define that of good and evil? What is 'good' and what is 'evil?' Good and evil are not simply something that we can define in terms of words. There must be a way to define such a word though. Many Eastern religions rely on the view that good and evil are simply oppossing forces creating a balance with one another. Christianity doesn't really hold compatible with these views because of the belief that good must 'win-out' over evil, so to speak.

I think of it like expressing sin. When I sin, I automatically know that I've messed up. Without an eternal being such as God in existence, there would no reason for me to feel such a feeling. While I am good, I am constantly tempted by Satan. The two forces hang in the balance and we can know one from the other. After all, if I am not doing God's will, then by the very words of the Bible, I am living in sin.

I am not entirely ignorant of Eastern beliefs. But a Ying and Yan stance is merely two sides of the same coin. There is no other reference point. Eastern religions tend to propose an impersonal 'diety' and a stance that reduces life on planet earth as illusion, something to escape from.

Taken together, these beliefs do not allow for a personal God (ie relationality) or science, and thus modern society and human rights issues are really beyond their scope, simply being absorbed from Western, Christian based values. Westerners fail to see the inherent cultural clashes between the two world views. Hindus oppose racial equality and support the existence of the 'untouchables' on the basis of karma, just desserts, a fundamental tenet of their religious beliefs.

John
NZ

 

[DoctorJosh]

I have an issue in that I don't believe in Satan. The Jewish religion sees Satan as a character in the Torah, not a real force. I have always believed evil is a real force but comes from the human heart. Plus, I don't think our beloved Lord God would give us a devil to deal with on top of everything else.


The Christian writer Max Lucado says that Satan is an angel who has no power but can only act when God gives him the green light. That's all well and good but its not enough for me to believe.

I struggle with this because believing in Satan is part of Christian theology. Ironically, I do believe in demonic possession but I have my own theories on that.

Can anyone help me sort this out?

Satan is an angel, cast out of Heaven for trying to take over Heaven and of course his greed was his demise. God created satan, God can destroy satan, but didn't out of mercy and instead cast him out of Heaven and into hell.

Satan can only tempt mankind, satan cannot harm mankind in any other way. Only tempt us and that is his only weapon. The heart of man is mans own desires, but if it is filled with Love for Jesus then there is no evil desire.

Satan hates all mankind, for mankind has a chance to get to Heaven where satan wants to live, but cannot since he will never enter Heaven again. So if satan were walking this earth, he would kill everyone who was Christian, but since he is in hell and only can tempt people we are safe from satan. He cannot harm us. God does not permit satan to harm us.

You have to know there is a satan, he is an angel as it is written and is talked about many times in the Bible since the Beginning of this world.
He tempted Adam and Eve, but could not kill them. He has tempted many, but cannot kill them, for God will not let that happen.

Satan uses such desires of wealth, power, lust, greed, and the mix of any of those to lead mankind away from God, from the Lord Jesus. However, if we keep our minds focused on the Lord Jesus we will be free from the chains of those temptations as they will simply go away as fast as they come to us. We seek no desire other than to live for Jesus and we are Free.

God Bless.